Elivia
by JustListenx13
Summary: Ever since Elivia's sister, Thelma, suddenly left, Elivia's life has been drab and predictable. She longs for some adventure in her life. Then just as suddenly, Thelma is home again and Elivia finds her sister is not always who she thought she was.
1. Chapter 1

chapter one:

precipitation

I think I understand now why my sister had so quickly decided to move

away from Greensdove after her graduation. I can't believe it has taken me so long to figure out why she never wanted to finish her two years at the community college. Was I really that naïve at twelve? I thought not, but apparently I was.

The rain never ceases here. I can honestly say that not once in my seven years here in Greensdove has it not precipitated at least once a day. Whether it's a rainstorm, snowstorm, a mere drizzle, there's always something falling from the sky. And yet it's never affected me before. Every morning I woke up, knowing it would rain, but I never recognized that. Kind of like breathing, you don't have to think about it, you just know. Never once would I say to myself, "It won't rain today." I've always known about Greensdove's unfortunate weather. But why now am I just putting the pieces together?

Perhaps it's because ever since my sister's departure, I haven't smiled a bit. Not a grin, nor a smirk. And of course no smile means no laughing. I've done neither since her leave. And so maybe the constant sadness that follows me now is why I've suddenly taken notice of the gloomy weather. Maybe because I'm always in such a rotten mood I _have_ to take note of the awful weather, and blame my mood on that.

But why do I care so much? Why am I contemplating this predicament now? I really have no reason to do so. Sitting here in my room hits me with such a massive amount of boredom that I think about the stupidest things now. I can't handle it. My whole life has been predictable. Well, except my sister leaving. That I could not have foreseen. She was here one day and then the next, she was gone.

It's not surprising to me hearing the knock on my door.

"Elivia?"

My mother. I don't believe she could handle a mere five minutes without having to know my precise location, what I'm doing, and my body temperature. Far too protective and attached.

"Elivia, are you in here?"

I mean, I understand where she might be coming from. She was a wreck when Thelma left. Honestly, I did feel sorry for a bit, but only at first. Then after the first five hours of sobbing it just became annoying and I found myself pitying her.

"Elivia! Honey, unlock the door!"

Reluctantly, I get up from my reading location and shuffle to the door, unlock it, and walk away to my bed again.

"It's unlocked," I say without looking towards the door.

It immediately opens and I hear my mother step inside.

"Elivia, please don't lock your door anymore. I've told you that before."

She waits for my response. I give her none.

"Elivia, how are you feeling?"

"Happy as a clam" I say without taking my eyes off the page. To be honest, I'm really not even listening. I've developed this ability called 'selective hearing' where I'm able to pick out the main words of sentences and answer without even really understanding what I'm being spoken to about. In this case, I catch _feeling_ and know that my mother is once again badgering me about this theorized depression she thinks I'm suffering from.

"Why don't you come downstairs? We're all watching football."

By "we're all" she means herself and Dad.

"I'm reading right now."

"I know, but you've been reading all day. Come on, the Dolphins are on" she adds with a hint of hope.

No luck.

"I liked the Dolphins in preschool. Because they were dolphins. And I liked orange. Now I'm in high school. I hate the ocean and its inhabitants. And I hate football anyways."

My eyes are still glued to the page. Without looking, I know my mother is contemplating whether or not to just leave.

"Elivia, your father has been gone all week for work. Why can't we just spend some time together as a family?"

She always worries about family time. That we're not spending enough time together or something. Personally, I think she's just worried that one of us is just going to get up and leave someday, like Thelma.

For the first time this whole conversation, I look up from my book, but still my back is to her and I'm only glaring at the wall.

"I'll be down in five minutes."

"Thank you."

She's satisfied and walks out, leaving the door open. I consider the offer and purse my lips. I should probably go downstairs. It would be the right thing to do. But when did I ever consider the _right_ thing?

I close my book and set it on my bed. I make my way through the door and down the stairs and see my family sitting in the living room, transfixed by the game on the television.

My mom smiles, proud of her work with getting me downstairs. She pats at an open seat next to her and I drag my feet over and flop down.

"Glad you decided to show up" my father grimly says, without taking his eyes off the television.

I roll my eyes. My dad tries everything that'll make me open my big, fat mouth and get me in trouble. Which is just about anything.

I bite down on my tongue.

"What were you reading Liv?" my mom asks, quickly changing the conversation. She has the ability to foresee danger.

"My AP History textbook."

"Oh." My mom's brow furrows and she stares confused at the TV.

Truth be told, my mother was not the sharpest tool in the shed. Or the brightest bulb in the bunch. Or however other way they say it.

We all stared at the TV in silence for the next ten minutes. Watching play after play, the Dolphins getting shellacked. Finally, I got up.

"Well, I think I'm just going to go back to my textbook. Considering nothing is happening here anyways" and I started to head out of the room.

Nobody objected. Not even my mother. God, life was getting really boring around here. It seemed that my life was on a skipping tape: wake up, school, homework, dinner, bed. Wake up, school, homework, dinner, bed. And repeat for infinity.

I needed change. Something, anything. And really, at this point I meant _anything._ If people could die of boredom I would be dust and bones in a casket by now.

I trudged up the stairs, noticing the scratches and dents in the walls and on the hardwood floors. The door to my room stood ajar and when I entered, I shut it behind me.

It seemed like my family was literally drifting apart. Like, my parents didn't even seem solid anymore, just ghosts; wispy and translucent. I felt like every time I kissed them goodnight or touched them, they weren't really there. Being an "only" child now had its benefits. Not so much laundry to do. There was always ice cream in the freezer. I didn't have to deal with my sister's sleepover friends. But for the most part, I hated it. I was always so alone. I envied my friends, with their older and younger siblings.

Thelma held us all together. She was like that stinky, cement glue. Really solid. Minus the stinky part. She didn't really smell. With the exception of that one day she stepped in dog crap. She smelled pretty bad then. For about three hours. Finally, I couldn't take the stench any more and asked her if she needed to change her pants. Then we found the poop on the bottom of her shoe.

But back to the cement part. Thelma was probably the most mature and reasonable person in the house. Even compared to my mom and dad who sounded like seventh grade cheerleaders with their whining and yelling. Thelma always met a happy medium for the family and cooled everyone down when we were nearly at our boiling point. I really loved my sister. Loved, like, more than my mom or dad.

I made my way over to the computer desk and turned on the monitor. It took ages, but eventually the screen was on and displayed my buddy list. No new instant messages. Wow, Elivia. Social life?

I scrolled down the window, looking for anyone online that I could have over tonight. I hadn't had a sleepover in two weeks so I'm pretty sure my parents _must_ let me have someone over tonight.

Just my luck, nobody was online. Of course. Nearly everyone's away messages posted something along the lines of: "I love (fill in nickname here) like life." Or, "out tonight with the girls." But if everyone was gone, why was I still home. In my pajamas for that matter! It was 2:30 for Christ sake!

A wave of depression rushed over me and I turned to look out my window. Not a good idea. It was raining which of course did not help my mood in the least bid. God, I hated Greensdove. I was going to go to a college far away. Somewhere dry. A desert. Heck, I would take the Sahara over this drabby town.

The rain was continuing to drizzle, the droplets bouncing off the metal gutter and making one of those noises that are so freaking annoying. Like the drip-drop of water in a sink…in a completely silent room.

I heard quiet footsteps approach my door. My mom, trying to be stealthy and quiet. She paused at the door for a moment, listening for what, I don't know.

"Yes?" I asked a hint of annoyance in my tone.

She opened my door and walked in, looking nervous.

"_Yes_?" I asked again.

"Livy, can you just come downstairs please?"

"I _was_ downstairs Mom. There was absolutely zero family interaction however so I figured nobody would care if I went back upstairs."

My mother considered this.

"Livy, I need to talk to you about something."

I didn't glance up from my textbook but I'm slightly interested to hear what my mother has to say. She is not the one to bring up those uncomfortable parent-child conversations concerning sex and drugs.

She came over slowly, her hands clasped in front of her, and sat on the edge of my bed. I looked at her curiously out of the corner of my eye.

"Well…," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "we need to talk…about Thelma."

My eyes widened and I instantly leaned towards my mom, horror washed across my face.

"Is she OK?!" I demanded.

My mother's nervous look was replaced with a surprised face. "Why, of course! She's fine. No, Liv she's completely fine. What we need to discuss is…Well, Thelma…"

"Mom! Just say it!"

"Thelma is special" she blurted out.

I was dumbstruck. _What_? My sister is mentally challenged? I shook my head.

"I—I don't get it."

"Your sister is…Oh god, how do I say this? She has…abilities?" She said the last word like she was trying to see if it fit right.

I was still shaking my head. So now my sister was a _special _retard. Awesome.

"Thelma can do…things that…other people can't—do."

I cocked my head towards her. "Like…?"

"Like predict what is going to happen?"

"So can I, Mom. You're going to a mental institution. Soon."

"No honey, I'm not kidding. Thelma has the ability to foresee what is coming. She can also…um, burn things. With her mind. And levitate."

My jaw was dropped, eyes widened.

"Stuff like that" my mother finished, like all the crazy things she had just said were concerning today's weather.

"I know, I know. It's hard to believe. And you're probably thinking that I'm crazy…"

"That's _exactly_ it actually. What are you_ talking_ about?!" I demanded, quite concerned at this point.

My mom hurried over to the phone on my desk and dialed a number. She put the phone to her ear, her hand on her hip and foot tapping, and her eyes widened when somebody picked up.

"Thelma? Hey it's Mom. Hi sweetie, how are you? That's good. Hey listen, I…I had to tell Elivia…about, the thing?" She paused. "I know. But she's having some problems understanding. Would you mind talking to her?" She waited for an answer again. "What?! Why?! Okay, yeah. Well we'll talk when you get here, why don't you stop by? She needs to see it…Mhmm…Alright, see you in a bit. Bye."

My mom hung up the phone and left my room, leaving me dumbstruck on my bed.

What was going _on_?!

I jumped off my bed and hurried out of my room, down the stairs and into the living room. My mom and dad were both standing up looking at each other, but I could not comprehend the emotion on their faces. They both turned and silently stared at me.

"Could somebody _please_ just tell me what's going on?"

"I told you Elivia! Your sister has powers!" my mom grimaced. My father wrinkled his nose, like the time he had caught a whiff of that poop on Thelma's shoe.

I stuttered, shocked by my mothers words. "…No! Mom, stop! Okay? You're being weird. Dad, what's wrong with her?!"

My dad didn't say anything, but rather studied my face for a moment. My eyes widened.

"I need to get out of here" I said abruptly, heading into the foyer.

"What? No!" I heard my mother hurrying behind me. "Elivia you're being silly!"

"_I'm_ being silly? Really Mom? Think about what you just said" I replied, grabbing my coat off the coat rack.

"Elivia you need to stay here. Please, just until Thelma gets here. And then when you see what you have to see…you can decide if you want to leave."

I stopped and studied my mother. Her bottom lip was trembling but there were no tears in her eyes. I hung my coat back up and marched into the living room, throwing myself onto the couch. I reached for the remote in front of me on the coffee table and flicked on the television. The Dolphins game was still on. They were losing 6-34.

I stared at the blaring television screen, watching the game but not really comprehending what was going on. I was more focused on the whole dilemma that had just happened. I still didn't understand the meaning behind my mother's crazy words. _Thelma can do things that other people can't do_, she had said. What did all of this mean? Was my mother heading to the psych ward earlier than I had expected?

My thoughts ended there. There was a knock on the door.


	2. Chapter 2

chapter two:

thelma

"You're here! Oh honey, you had a safe drive then? I'm so happy you were in the area. I know this is awful timing but it had to be done and I really couldn't wait much longer. She needed to know…Right."

My mother was speaking ridiculously fast. Like the usual. Or at least when she became upset or anxious.

Clearly she was anxious.

I had not heard her talk this fast (and really, I could barely understand what she was saying) since the time when Uncle Tommy was strapping me up to the cliff-diving gear when I was ten and she was trying to explain to me the precise angle and speed I needed to jump at like she had ten seconds left to live with me.

This speed that she was speaking now was almost as fast.

I heard my sister's cheery voice, my dad's grumbling, and my mother trying to speak over all of them. Eventually their voices died down and they entered the living room.

"Hey Liv!" my sister said, grinning.

Or was it my sister?

Seriously, if I was not able to recognize my sister from the bizarre birthmark on her neck, I would not have been able to distinguish this person. She had blackish-purple hair in a pixie cut and it would appear that she had invested in ice blue contacts. Nearly all of her ear was pierced now as opposed to the single piercing she had had when she left.

And then, what was she wearing?! Black skinny jeans and some undistinguishable garment over her chest was all I was able to make out. Otherwise, it just looked like remnants from Project Runway had thrown up all over her.

"Thelma?"

She smiled and laughed. _That _laugh. Yes, it was most definitely her.

"How have you been?" she asked as she made her way to the couch.

"Uhhh, fine?" was all I managed to get out. "You've…you…you look great!"

She laughed again.

"Well that's a lot better than what I got out from Mom and Dad."

I snorted, remembering my parents in the room and I glanced at them. My mother was pink, her nostrils flared, and a look of fear on her face. My dad—well he just looked plain furious.

"How's…life?" I asked, not really knowing where my sister had been since she left.

She nodded. "Good. I'm actually staying with a couple of my friends in Jamesville. You remember Donna and Jeanie? From my field hockey team?"

I did not recall. "Oh yeah! Nice."

"Yeah, I'm having a lot of fun with them. Working and studying of course!" she said, turning to my parents and blushing.

My brow furrowed and when she turned back to me, her face became strained.

"Remember why you're here Thelma" my mother murmured from the corner of the room.

Thelma composed her face and slapped on a fake smile. "Oh right. Hey Liv, I have something way cool to show you!" Her over-enthusiasm worried me.

"Yeah, mom told me something about reading minds and flying" I said, trying to laugh but I could only swallow.

"Flying? No, not quite" and then when she saw my worried look, she stood up from the couch. "I actually do have some…magical powers, I guess you could say" she said shrugging.

I sighed. This was getting a little ridiculous. "Let's see Thelm!" I said sarcastically.

I felt the tension in the room rise and my mothers hands moved from across her chest to at her sides.

My sister studied her hands for a moment, and then turned to a fuzzy bush my mom had growing on the mantel. Slowly, she lifted her hand, her fingers twitching slightly. And then suddenly, the plant was in flames.

"Oh!" my mother shrieked and she hurried out of the room. I could faintly hear her fumbling around in the kitchen and in the next moment she came out with her coffee mug filled to the brim with water, splashing in her trembling hands. She ran to the plant and dumped the water on it. The fire ceased.

I stared at my sister, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"Did you…" I began, pointing to the plant. "Did you just…"

She nodded slowly and tried to grin. "Cool huh?"

I merely stared back at her.

"Need to see it again?" But she didn't wait for my reply. She directed her hand towards the fireplace and within a few moments, the logs inside it were crackling to life. My jaw dropped. Possibly to the floor. I wouldn't know though, my whole body was numb.

"Oh my God. Oh my _God_! Thelma! How did you..."

She shrugged her shoulders, trying to play it cool. "I'm really not sure actually. One day I was screwing around with my dolls and the next thing I knew, it was on fire in my hand. And it didn't hurt. I didn't feel it."

I looked beyond my sister to my mother, who was standing at the fire place hesitantly, glancing at the fire every now and then. "Mom…Dad? What's going on?"

"I told you sweetie, Thelma has these abilities. I don't know why. We don't know how. Ever since she was six, we've known she's had them. Your father and I never have. But she does. That was what I was trying to explain to you…" My mother was speaking fast again, and the spinning of the room was not helping my effort to stay conscious.

I shook my head, holding up my hands. "This is crazy! I'm dreaming! I know I am!" I stood up suddenly and ran up to my sister. "You…you're not real either! This is all a dream!"

My sister pinched at the underside of my arm and a shooting pain shot up my arm.

"Ow!" I yelped, pulling away.

"If you were in a dream, that wouldn't hurt" my sister explained flatly.

"Honey, I know it's hard to understand" my mother began, "Trust me, when I first saw your sister set my garden on fire..."

"She passed out" my sister finished for her. I could believe that. "But it's real. It's all real."

I tried to swallow, but my mouth was so dry. I slowly walked over to the couch and set my hand on the arm, trying to steady myself. I saw my sister glance at my mother out of the corner of my eye, a pleading look on her face. All eyes were on me, waiting for my reaction but I felt immobile. Thelma slowly shuffled to my side and set a hand on my shoulder.

"Liv?"

I didn't look up, but I could see her head turn to my mother out of the corner of my eye.

"I shouldn't have come here" she said, starting out of the room. She brushed past my parents. I heard the door open, and then close.

"Damn it Janine! I knew we shouldn't have done this!"

My mother dropped her head, staring at the floor and my dad left the room. I heard him thump up the stairs and moments later, their bedroom door slam.

My sister, who I hadn't seen in years, had just left. She had just showed up, out of nowhere, for no more than five minutes. And she had just left, again. Just like last time.

I sprang up from the couch and ran to the front door, throwing it wide open. I glanced up at the sky and saw dark clouds forming. I could smell rain. I heard my mother shout my name but I was already running across the front lawn. I looked down the left side of my street, and then the right and I saw my sister's beat-up Amica. I broke out into a sprint down the sidewalk.

I don't quite know what overcame me then. I had never been an athlete, or a runner for that matter. My parents had attempted to get me involved in a rec-soccer group when I was six; but the first game I just stood in the same spot the entire game. My coach pulled me off the field, murmured something fiercely in my face that I couldn't comprehend and then I felt my father tug me away. That was the last time I ever played soccer. Well, stepped on the field.

But here I was, running down the sidewalk of my neighborhood at four o'clock in the afternoon. I passed by a few of the neighborhood children who were trying to squeeze in those last few minutes of hop-scotch or tag before it would start to rain again.

I had been running for a mere two minutes when I realized I would not be able to catch up to her. I tried to push through the pain in my stomach, ignore the lack of oxygen. But I started to slow, and then I was jogging, and then I was walking. And then I stopped.

I heard a rumble from the sky and then I felt a single drop of rain splash on my shoulder. Then, it began to pour and kids were shrieking and giggling around me as they ran for shelter. But I just stayed where I was, the rain soaking me in a matter of seconds. I stared for a moment at her car as she continued further and further down the street. I put my hands on my hips, heaving, trying to catch my breath. The stitch in my side hurt and I arched my back, trying to get rid of the pain. And then I began to sob. And let me tell you that does _not_ help when you're already deprived of oxygen.

I slumped over, my hands on my knees and cried. Cried for the first time in years. I had never been an emotional person, ever. I think that my sister's unexpected absence was what had numbed me for all these years. I watched my tears splat onto the sidewalk with the rain. The water trickled down my hair onto my face and down my nose and then to my mouth.

I was crying because I had let her leave so easily. If I had known where she was going that first time she left, I wouldn't have let her leave. But I really couldn't blame myself then. My parents were as blindsided as I was. This time was different. I didn't respond to her hand on my shoulder, I heard her get up and the door close behind her. And I waited too long to try to bring her back. I would forever be left with this feeling of guilt now that—

"Elivia!" I heard someone exclaim. I looked up at Thelma, her face washed over with confusion and she was a little wet from the rain. And then, she was grinning and chuckling. You know, she would do that. At such a serious time like this; laugh. Here I was, dying of oxygen deprivation, thinking that she had just left my life for the second time. And she was laughing…_at_ me.

"Damn, you are out of shape girl!" she managed to get out.

I stood up straight, hands on my hips, trying to steady my breath. I could feel a mixture of sweat and water on my back and neck.

"Really Thelma?" I sputtered.

"What?"

"_Really_" I said as I turned around and marched back down the sidewalk. I heard her hurry up to me and felt her touch my arm.

"Oh come _on_ Elivia, you had to see yourself! Look at you! You're soaked!"

"Screw you."

"Aw come on! You know I'm joking with you Liv!"

"Ha ha. Me too! See! This whole thing is just really funny!"

She stopped and so did I. I glared at her and a wave of recognition washed over her face. Her eyes widened, sincere and guilty. My breathing was finally coming back to me.

"I'm sorry Liv. I didn't mean to scare you like that."

I bit my lip. "I just wish this running away from home thing would stop. It's so random and…unfair."

She sighed. "Your right. I know, it's must be…confusing. I'm so sorry, I won't do that anymore."

We didn't talk as we walked back up the street to where she had parked her car on the side of the road. The only sound was of raindrops hitting the gutter and pavement. She walked in front of the hood and I opened the passenger door. My jaw dropped when I saw everything inside.

"Thelma! What is all this?" I exclaimed.

"Oh, just old stuff" she said shrugging and throwing a cell phone charger, two books, and a pillow in the back seat.

Her little Amica was quite literally filled to the brim. Books, blankets, cereal boxes, make-up, wads of tissues, hair ties, everything! Nobody would ever be able to sit in the backseat and even in front of the passenger's seat were boxes filled with toiletries and socks.

"_Why_ do you have all this with you?" I questioned as I tried to squeeze into the seat. I slammed the door shut beside me, just barely fitting in.

My sister silently turned the key and the engine rumbled to life. She peered into her rearview mirror and pulled off the side of the road, executing a U-turn.

"I haven't exactly been truthful to Mom and Dad." I waited for her to continue, but she let the silence linger.

"What do you mean?"

She paused again. "Let's just say I haven't been studying with Donna and Jeanie. In fact, I haven't seen them since lacrosse season my junior year." I knew she would continue, so I waited. "I've really been…traveling. Around, everywhere! All along the coast. And I'll probably head to California once I leave home again."

I could not believe my ears. So this was why she had everything she needed to live with in her car. She _was _living in her car.

"I—I—"

"Ever since my senior year, I've been trying to find people…like me. You know, with all that magical stuff going on. And you know, I've actually found quite a few," she said, speaking rapidly. "I started a blog, to find them. You'd be surprised! I must've had contact with nine people through my blog already; three I've actually met up with. And they're all like me. Well, kind of. Their powers vary, but same concept." My sister shook her head in disbelief, turning into the driveway. "It's just crazy. I thought I was alone."

We sat in our seats, watching the windshield wipers move back and forth.

"I _know_ that this is…a lot for you Liv. But you've got to believe me. This is what I want to do, I need to find them. I need to know that I'm not the only alien on this planet."

"But Thelma, that's so dangerous! There are so many sick people out there, who will tell you that they are like you and ask you to meet up with them and take advantage of you. Or—or even worse than that!"

Thelma shook her head and shrugged. "Well that's a risk I'm willing to take."


	3. Chapter 3

chapter three:

fire and flight

Our forks and spoons clinked against our plates, making that sound like nails on a chalkboard. I cringed, but not at the noise; at the awkward and tense silence.

Mom had made meaty rigatoni…again. My mother was under the false impression that our family was Italian when in actuality we were just French-Canadian and Swedish. We'd had garlic bread for the past two weeks now.

It was also quite awkward because my sister had become a vegetarian while away. Meaty rigatoni didn't quite cut it in her book. So currently, she was just sitting at the table, poking around at her pasta and munching on her salad.

"You're not eating anything" my mother observed as she raised her fork to her mouth.

Thelma smiled, setting her fork down lightly on her plate. "Well, Mom, Dad, I forgot to tell you that I've recently decided to become a vegetarian."

I glanced up to see my sister smiling expectantly, her hands on her lap. For a split second my mother looked shocked, but then her expression went to a pained my smile. My father rolled his eyes as he brought his beer to his lips.

"Well, honey that's very…_nice_" my mother said and then mumbled, "Hun, would you please pass the salad?"

The rest of dinner was composed of small talk, mainly about Thelma. What was she studying? Did she have a job? How were Donna and Jeanie?

My sister, not surprisingly, did a fine job with answering all of their questions. Of course, when you're traveling around the country, developing a good habit of telling lies becomes necessary. Her responses were realistic and thorough, but she said just enough, where she could avoid further questioning. I had promised in the car to keep this a secret between the two of us. I don't know why. If I was smart and if I really did care for my sister I should have told my parents. But I refused. There was a piece of me that held deep sympathy for my sister. She was without a doubt, not normal. And not to mention the only person I was aware of that was so abnormal…in the world. She was being brave. I recognized that this took a lot of courage from her to put herself out, in a way, to the public. She was meeting up with people she had never heard of. She was risking her life.

When dinner was finished, my mom and dad went into the living room and Thelma and I were left to load up the dishes in the dishwasher. I would silently rinse our plates and cups and then hand them to her to set in the dishwasher. All the while, my head was swarming with unanswered thoughts. I was so curious, I wanted to know so much more about my sister's predicament, but I didn't know how to go about asking my questions without being pesky. Not to mention, Mom and Dad were just one room over, my mother's ears likely perked up and listening for any murmuring.

I had a feeling she knew something was up. Well, besides my sister having these insane magical abilities. Obviously she was aware of that. But I think that she knew that she was missing something. She wouldn't ask; spineless jellyfish. Instead, she would be obnoxiously overprotective and act like a stalker.

As I suspected, she was leaning against the door frame in the kitchen a few minutes later, her arms across her chest. And she just watched us, smiling.

After a few minutes I looked up. "Yes mother?"

She looked surprised. "What?"

I gestured to her. "What do you want?" I asked, trying to restrain my urge to serve that question with a bit of attitude.

"Do I have to ask something in order to stand here?"

"No, but…never mind." It was hopeless.

Eventually, she moved from her position in the doorway to the kitchen table, and she sifted through some already opened bills. When Thelma and I finished, I wiped my hands off on a towel and headed to my room. I laid back on my bed, thinking about everything. Thelma entered the room a few minutes later, quietly closing the door behind her.

"Jeez, I guess Mom's still just as uptight" she said walking over and taking a seat on the edge of my bed. She smoothed out my comforter with her hand as she spoke: "I'm thinking about telling Mom and Dad…about what I've been doing."

I sat forward quickly. "Thelma you can't do that. Once you tell them, you'll be cooped up in this house until you die!"

She shook her head, frowning. "I don't think so. I'm an adult now Liv. Mom and Dad know that. They've let me out of their sight for this long. I think they would understand."

"You're telling me that you think Mom will be fine and dandy with you just driving around and hanging out with random creepers?"

"Elivia you seem to be forgetting about the whole reason I meet with these people. Because I have powers. I can fly and create fire. If that doesn't keep me safe, than nothing can."

I hadn't thought about that, although that would've been the wisest thing for me to consider. Thelma could toast somebody with her bare hand. But would she if she had to?

"I can't keep these secrets from them any longer. I feel so bad! They've raised me for as long as they could and they deserve to know what I'm doing now."

I nodded. "What do you mean for as long as they could?"

Thelma looked up at me with saddened eyes. Oh Lord, I don't think I could take any more surprises.

"That's another thing I need to talk to you about." She looked down at her hands in her lap and picked at her fingernails. "I…Mom and Dad adopted me. When I was six months."

I couldn't believe my ears. I mean I _literally_ could not comprehend what she had just said.

"You were Mom and Dad's first newborn, technically. My real parents gave me up when I was four months. I don't know much about them, barely anything. All I know was that I was their first child too, and that they were living in New York City. My mom's name was Maria; she was seventeen when she had me. And my dad…well I didn't find out too much about him. I guess he just kind of left her" she said shrugging.

This was too much for one day. I felt drained and weak; shaky. I knew I wouldn't be able to get up if I had to.

"When Mom and Dad adopted me, they were unaware of my abilities. They just thought that they were saving a normal child who would've lived an underprivileged life. I don't know why my mom—Maria gave me up. I don't know if I had shown any sign of having these…powers then. Or if it was just the fact that she was seventeen and on her own. I've always felt that it would've been a bit of both.

"And then I never found out if she was the same. As me that is, with the whole flying and fire thing. I wish I had known somehow. And obviously I would have no idea about my dad." Thelma shook her head and then snorted. "Talk about a messed up life."

I had been staring at my sister, not breathing. This was all news to me. I ran my hand over my face, catching my breath.

"I guess Mom and Dad had gone through this whole adoption process while they were living in New Jersey, away from the family. That way, nobody would have to know. Mom and Dad just came home for Christmas one year and—bam! 'Hey Mom, hey Dad, did I mention I had a baby?'" Thelma spoke in a mocking. "I guess Grandma and Grandpa were pretty surprised" she said laughing a bit. "But they never told anybody that I wasn't really theirs."

For some reason, I could see my mom as that crazy housewife that keeps that deadly secret her whole life. She could be the one that would bake a cake and take it over to the neighbors, and they would have no idea about the buried treasure in the backyard. But my dad…he seemed too…down-to-earth, relaxed. I couldn't put my finger on the word I wanted. "Why—how come Mom and Dad never told me this?" I gasped.

"You know Mom Liv. She would like everyone to think of us as that "perfect family"" she said, making quotation marks in the air. "I looked enough like the both of them where they could just play it off like I was the real deal."

I shook my head, not believing anything she was saying.

"Trust me; it was just as hard for me to believe all this. Imagine waking up one morning and Mom tells you that we need to talk. And then she sits you down, with Dad mind you, and tells you that you were adopted. That somebody else is your real mother. You can't even comprehend what all that feels like. It hit me…so hard Liv." But she didn't cry. My sister, with all of this that had happened to her today, in her life, still wouldn't cry. She was so strong.

I scooted over on the bed to her side, but didn't quite know where to put my arms. So I just set them awkwardly in my lap. We just sat there for awhile, probably only a few minutes. And I just let all that she had just told me settle in my mind. I still had so many questions, it made my head hurt. But with all that I had seen today, hearing that my sister was adopted actually seemed believable and completely normal.

Mom and Dad never showed any signs of having these powers. So why would their children? Thelma's birthmother, or father, had to be like her; I did not doubt that.

I was lying in my bed in my dark room, the blanket by my feet and the fan blowing in my face. My hands were behind my head, and I stared up at the ceiling. My ears were ringing and my head felt like it was being compressed by a really big wrench.

I rolled over, looking at my clock. The red digits displayed: 1:04. A feeling of dread sank in my stomach. I had been in lying in bed trying to fall asleep three and a half hours. I looked beyond the clock at my sister, who was sound asleep on the floor next to me. She looked at ease. I longed for that feeling at this moment. How could anybody be at ease with all that had happened today? Remembering everything now, it seemed like all that had happened had moved really fast. I had learned so many things and my head felt heavy.

Thelma was leaving tomorrow after lunch. She had said that she needed to get back because Jeanie was having her birthday party that night and she promised she would be there. _Right_.

My eyes darted to the floor when I saw Thelma shift under the sleeping bag. I laid still, not wanting to wake her and then when she stopped, I moved back to my original position, facing the ceiling.

"Liv?" she whispered.

I didn't respond at first, holding my breath. Maybe she would fall back to sleep.

"Are you awake?" she asked again.

I sighed. "Yes" I said regretfully.

She turned over so that she was facing me, a grin spread across her face. Her eyes were squinty and puffy. Well, at least someone had gotten some sleep around here.

"Did I wake you?"

"No, I've been awake."

"Oh." She sat up suddenly, smiling. "Want to see something cool?" she asked. I couldn't help but smirk; she sounded like a little kid and looked like one, leaning on her hands towards me.

"Sure."

She threw the blankets off her legs and got up from the floor. She tip-toed over to my window, pulling open the curtains to reveal a dark, star-spotted sky. The streetlamps and the moon lit the street in patches. The light reflected off of puddles from the last rain. It looked creepy.

Slowly, she unlocked the window and eased it all the way open.

"What are you doing?" I asked sitting up in bed, now curious.

She bit her bottom lip, still smiling. "Watch."

The next thing I knew, she was out the window.

"Thelma!" I shrieked and jumped out of bed. I hurried to the sill but jumped back when she zoomed up past the window. I felt my jaw drop. I peered up and out the window, at the sky but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Thelma?"

"Yes?"

I gasped and tripped over a shoe. She laughed as she steadied herself in front of the window, hands on the sill. But she wasn't _holding_ on as if she was hanging out a second story window. I got up and slowly walked over to the window, peering down at her feet. She was hovering, ten feet off the ground.

"Oh my god!"

She giggled. "Cool huh?" I nodded wordlessly. Then she held out her arms, "Come on!"

I gaped at her. "You're kidding right?"

She frowned and shook her head.

"Thelma, are you kidding me?" my voice had a hint of hysteria in it. "Are you serious?"

"Aw come on Liv! I won't drop you!" and when I grimaced, she added, "I promise!"

I contemplated the situation. Should I really step out my second story window into the arms of my flying sister? Probably not. But did I want to? Yes.

I took a step towards the window and then pulled myself up onto the sill. I swung my feet around, so that I was sitting on the window sill.

"Are you sure you can hold me?" I asked Thelma.

She nodded. "I think so."

After a pause, I reached out for Thelma and settled into her arms. She dropped a little bit in the air and I gasped but she laughed.

"It's fine Liv."

I peered down at the ground beneath me and suddenly felt woozy.

"Whatever you do, don't look down" she advised me and then we zoomed off into the sky.

It was a humid night and there were very few stars because of the storm clouds that were still lingering over Greensdove. When we flew, the wind bit at my nose and ears. We were flying up, and I could feel the temperature dropping a bit. Eventually, we leveled off and just flew forward, above the housing development and trees. My messy hair whipped behind my head and I struggled to keep my eyes opened. They watered involuntarily.

"Where are we going?" I asked Thelma after a couple minutes.

"Nowhere" she said matter-of-factly.

I couldn't help but glance down every now and then. I saw roofs and pools and cars and trees. Although it was late and dark out, I couldn't help but worry that people would see us. My sister seemed to read my thoughts.

"Don't worry Liv, nobody will see us. Anyone who is up now is probably wasted anyways."

I tried to laugh as we descended a bit. We flew alongside houses, peering into windows and giggling when dogs or cats would perk up at our shadows. We circled around chimneys and skimmed over open pools. For as dangerous as this situation could be, I was having a blast.

Eventually, I realized we had circled back and were heading home. I could spot our tan house in the sky and we descended over it, landing softly on the roof. Thelma set me down and walked over to the edge, sitting down. I followed her.

"That was amazing" I said, grinning from ear to ear.

Thelma was smiling too, probably overjoyed that she finally had somebody to share her experiences with. The moon was out, not quite full, but nearly there. We sat there, for how long I don't know, with our feet dangling over the edge and looking out over the neighborhood. We talked a lot, about silly things; memories. And what we had seen on our flight. At some point in the conversation, I realized that Thelma really hadn't changed at all. Sure, she looked a little different now. And of course, now I knew about her secret, but otherwise, she was still the same Thelma.


	4. Chapter 4

chapter four:

leaving

I awoke in my own bed. That was surprising, considering the last thing I remembered from last night was sitting on the roof. Thelma must've moved me inside.

I groaned as I stretch in bed, peering around the room. The sun was shining through my curtains and when I glanced at the floor, Thelma's sleeping bag was empty.

I sat up quickly; too quickly. The blood rushed to my head and I felt a sudden feeling of dizziness. I took a couple deep breaths and steadied myself before I got up and left the room.

I could smell bacon from the top of the stairs and I took the steps two at a time. When I arrived in the kitchen, I found my mom and dad at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper; Thelma was standing over a frying pan, its contents sizzling.

My mother looked up and smiled. "Good morning Sleeping Beauty!"

"Morning" I mumbled.

I shuffled over to the counter and picked off a bit of bacon that was soaking on a paper towel. Thelma swatted my hand away.

"Hey! This is for later!"

I grinned and pulled out a chair, slumping over and burying my head under my arms.

"Late night?" my father said sarcastically. Little did he know that was _exactly_ the cause for my lethargy.

"I want to come with you" I pleaded to my sister, sitting on my bed. She was folding laundry in the living room. My parents had surprisingly migrated upstairs to give us some privacy.

"I know you do. But you can't Liv. I could be getting myself into some bad situations and I wouldn't want you there with me. This isn't meant for you. Besides, what would Mom and Dad say? They'd think I was taking you to get boozed up and laid in college!"

I suddenly visualized my father rolling his eyes and my mother becoming beat red, shock and anger washed over her face. I grimaced.

"Well we should at least try! It's summertime Thelm, Mom and Dad should be happy to get me out of the house."

"Liv, I told you. Even if they did say it was okay, I wouldn't allow it! It's just too dangerous" she said, folding a t-shirt and pushing into a duffel bag.

I sighed. It was no use; I would not be able to convince Thelma, let alone Mom and Dad. I would just have to face the facts that it would be another couple years until I saw my sister again.

"Well…," my sister pulled the straps on the duffel bag, closing the opening, "I better go."

We got up and walked through the kitchen into the foyer. Thelma slung her bag over her shoulder and I sat on the stairs, chin cupped in my hands.

"Mom! Dad! I'm leaving!" she yelled up the stairs. In a matter of seconds, my mother appeared and was hurrying down the stairs, followed by my father. Once again, he seemed indifferent to what was going on around him.

"Oh I hate how you have to go Thelma" my mother whined, her big blue eyes widening.

"I know. But I'll be back sooner this time. I've only got finals and then I'll be home again, I promise."

My mother's eyes glistened and I saw the tears ready to spill over the brim.

"Please, Mom! Don't cry" Thelma said, laughing but at the same time I could hear the sadness in her voice. She hugged my mother and then turned to my dad. He put his hands in his pockets and stepped forward awkwardly.

"Now be safe Thelma. There's some real creeps out there so be smart."

"I love you Dad" she said, smiling somberly. They embraced in a hug and then she turned to me. There was a pause before I blurted out what I'd been planning since we walked into the foyer.

"Thelma, please just ask Mom and Dad!"

Thelma's eyes widened and her brow furrowed. "Olivia, what are you talking about?"

"The _festival _Thelma! Come on, it's supposed to be a very educational experience. I'm sure Mom and Dad would be fine with letting you take me there with you."

My sister stammered, speechless.

"What festival honey?" The question was directed towards Thelma but I quickly answered for her.

"Oh, there's this culinary festival near Thelma's college that she won't take me to and I really want to go! There's supposed to be a whole bunch of great chef's cooking and a bunch of culinary schools will be there, giving out college information. And you know how I've recently taken an interest in becoming a chef…"

My mother glanced at my father. "I do?"

I widened my eyes, exaggerating my despair. "Well of course you wouldn't know Mom because I've been cooped up in this house all summer. But I just can't pretend that that's not my dream anymore! Mom, Dad: I want to be a professional chef. And this festival will be just _perfect_! I'll be able to see what opportunities I have out there, and I can get ahead on college searching, Dad. And Mom…I could even buy a couple of recipe books for me and you…" I said, grinning.

There was a moment of silence, in which everyone appeared to be completely dumbstruck by my tangent I had just gone on. My father looked slightly confused and my mother blinked hard a couple of times.

"Olivia—!"

"Oh honey that's _wonderful_!" my mother squealed. I resisted the urge to grimace and simply nodded enthusiastically.

"Mom?"

"Janine?"

My mother looked at my Dad and Thelma as if she had just come out of a daze.

"What? Scott don't look at me like that, you know this is just _perfect_ for Olivia!"

"But Mom—"

"Thelma you and your sister need to spend some time together anyways. You can't expect her to be happy with seeing you for less than a day after all this time."

"But Mom, you—"

"I don't want to hear it. You will take your sister with you and you will take care of her for the time being. And when this…festival is over with, you two can come home again."

I became consciences of my dropped jaw and quickly closed it.

"Well then…I guess I better grab some clothes" I said, getting up from the stairs quickly. I took the stairs, two at a time and hurried into my room, throwing a duffel bag in the middle of the floor. I began to comb through my drawers and closet, grabbing only the necessary things: underwear, a couple t-shirts, shorts, a pair of jeans, bras. I then hurried to the bathroom, grabbing my toothbrush, razor and brush.

As I was shoving all these contents hurriedly into my bag, I envisioned my sister and I, driving along the west coast, and then in a big city, and then in the countryside. A feeling of excitement was bubbling inside of me. I could not believe that this was happening.

When I had finished packing, I grabbed my cell phone and charger and then bolted out of my room, hurrying through the hallway, and then down the stairs. My parents and sister were just as I had left them, except Thelma looked furious.

"I think I have everything" I said, breathing heavily. "I have my cell, so I'll call you tonight."

"Please make smart choices" my mother said, embracing me in a hug. She kissed the top of my head and then I moved towards my dad.

"Have fun, let us know if you need anything" he mumbled as I reached up to give him a kiss goodbye.

I pulled away and glanced expectantly at Thelma. She looked as if she wanted to say something. I cringed and hoped she wouldn't.

"Bye Mom. Bye Dad."

"Let us know how the festival goes!" my mother said as we opened the front door and stepped out onto the porch with our bags. "Have fun!"

"We will!" I called after them as Thelma and I walked down the driveway, avoiding puddles. I opened the passenger door and threw my bag by my feet. I looked up at my parents who stood in the doorway, waving, and I waved back. Thelma threw her bag in the back seat and slammed her door shut, and then peered out the rearview mirror as she back out of the driveway.

When my sister got mad, it was epic. Generally, Thelma was an easy-going person, always cracking jokes and trying to keep the peace in the house. But sometimes, she'd get mad and when that would happen, it was similar to apocalypse. This time, I could feel the heat emanating off of her…literally. Her fingers were clenched on the steering wheel, her knuckles white, and her lips were set in a firm, straight line. Smoke furled softly around her and her eyes were wild.

I hesitated to break the silence. I recognized the possibility of becoming a roast if I said the wrong thing, so I held my tongue for a bit. Eventually however, the silence became excruciating and I was now nearly sweating from the heat coming off of her.

"Well…this is going to be…fun" I said in a small voice that was barely audible. I stole a glance at her hands on the steering while and saw her grip tighten. I suddenly caught a whiff of burning leather.

"Fun?" Her voice was fierce, a whisper on the trail of hysteria.

I gulped nervously. But then, I wondered why I was acting like this. This was my sister that I had suddenly become so deathly afraid of. I had spent my entire life with her, nearly, getting on her nerve and taking pride in myself when I could find what pushed her buttons. Now, just because I find out about her flame-throwing abilities I suddenly feel like I'm instigating a stranger.

I sat up straighter, feeling more confident all of a sudden and I pursed my lips.

"You can't be mad at me" I said, looking at her profile. "You can't blame me for wanting to come along with you Thelma. I haven't seen you in forever and now _you're_ mad at _me _because I actually want to spend time with you!"

"That's not the point Olivia!"

"Well what is the point Thelma?"

"I already told you this. This whole thing is dangerous for me, let alone you! I can't be worrying about where you are all the time."

"Thelma I'm fifteen years old. It's not like your dealing with a freaking toddler here."

"I know," she said, sounding defeated, "But if anything ever happened to you because of me…"

Thelma trailed off and sorrowfully looked out the windshield. Her anger was wearing off; she wasn't beat red anymore and nor was there any smoke coming off of her.

"I didn't mean to make this hard," I said softly, "And I recognize how dangerous this is and I don't want to be…a burden. But you have to realize where I've been all this time: at home, in my room on the computer, doing nothing. I've missed you. And I don't want to miss something like this. I won't be a problem, I swear. And I can even help you, like, keep records or something, I don't know."

Thelma rolled her eyes at my last remark, but was smiling slightly.

"I won't be in the way. I'll be quiet until you need me, just taking my notes."

She was nodding, as if she knew all this already.

"You can't tell anyone Olivia, what we're doing that is. I am unaware of anybody that knows what people like me can do. And we have to keep it that way. If anybody finds out…well they'll tell the world. And then I'll end up in some laboratory like a test rat."

I bit my bottom lip, imagining Thelma strapped to a table with people poking and prodding her. "I won't, I promise."

"Alright. I think that keeping records would actually be a good idea, so we can keep in touch with these people."

I nodded enthusiastically and then turned to look out the window. We had gotten onto the thruway at some point and we were now speeding alongside cars and trucks. When people would speed by, I'd peer into their windows and glance at them, wondering if they too were like Thelma. I saw mothers and fathers and teens and cranky old people. But they all looked pretty normal to me, like they wouldn't be hiding the same secret my sister was. But then again, if I was driving by Thelma and didn't know about her secret and I just caught a glance at her, she would look pretty normal to me, too. I shivered thinking how many times I may've unknowingly walked by somebody that could produce fire with a flick of their fingers.

"Cold?" Thelma asked and reached to turn up the heat dial.

I sighed and turned to the window again.


End file.
